This invention relates to a dispensing device for fluid product activated by inhaling and more particularly, a device of the aerosol type activated by inhaling.
Devices activated by inhaling (generally referred to by the term B.A.I.) are well known in the state of the technology. The main advantage of this type of device is that the dispensing of the product is synchronized with the inhalation of the patient, to guarantee good dispensation of the product. Hence, within the field of aerosol devices, that is to say devices in which the products are dispensed using a propellant gas, numerous types of devices which are activated by inhaling have been proposed. However, all of these devices have the disadvantage of being made up of a large number of components, that is to say, they are complicated and expensive to manufacture and to assemble, which is obviously disadvantageous.
The aim of this invention is to provide a dispensing device for a fluid product activated by inhaling, which functions in a reliable way and which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble.
A further aim of this invention is to provide a dispensing device for a fluid product activated by inhaling, which operates in a reliable way and does not require a high degree of aspiration to activate the dispensing of the product.
A further aim of this invention is to provide a dispensing device for a fluid product activated by inhaling, which comprises a product reservoir containing a propellant gas, a pump or dosing valve to selectively dispense the product and an activation device commanded by inhaling, said activation device comprising:
a control element mobile between inoperative and control positions, said control element being displaced by the user,
an actuating member, mobile between a non-actuating position, in which the pump or dosing valve is not actuated and an actuating position in which the pump or dosing valve is actuated, said actuating member being urged towards its actuating position when the control element is in its control position,
a retaining element, mobile between a retaining position in which it co-operates with the actuating element to retain it in its non-actuating position and a releasing position, in which said actuating member moves into its actuating position, and
a cam element, mobile between a storing position in which said retaining element is locked in its retaining position, and an inhaling position, in which said retaining element moves into its releasing position, said cam element being urged towards its storing position and being moved into its inhaling position when the user of the device inhales.
Preferably, the device additionally comprises a locking member that co-operates, on the one hand with the retaining element and on the other hand, with the cam element, said locking member being mobile between a locking position in which it locks said retaining element in its retaining position, and an unlocking position, in which said retaining element moves into its releasing position, said locking member being in the locking position when said cam element is in its storing position, and in the unlocking position, when said cam element is in its inhaling position.
Advantageously, the movement of the control element towards its control position compresses a spring which urges the actuating member towards its actuating position.
Advantageously, the spring is arranged between the control element and the actuating element.
Preferably, the device comprises a casing which receives the reservoir, the pump or dosing valve and the activating device, the casing additionally comprising a dispensing orifice, such as an end mouth-piece through which the user inhales and an opening blocked by the cam element in the storing position.
Advantageously, said cam element is pivotably mounted in the casing, the inhalation by the user creating a pressure drop inside the casing which causes the cam element to pivot towards its inhaling position in which it no longer blocks the opening of the casing.
Advantageously the control element is pivotably mounted on the casing and in its inoperative position, blocks the dispensing orifice of the device.
Preferably, the retaining element is elastically deformable between its retaining position and its releasing position, the retaining element being urged into its releasing position by the actuating member when the control element is in its control position.
Advantageously, the retaining element is housed in a groove of the actuating member, said groove having a slanting side wall which, when the actuating member is urged into its actuating position exerts a force on the retaining element to urge it into its releasing position.
Advantageously, the locking member is a cylindrical sleeve slidably mounted around the retaining element, said sleeve comprising a first part that in the locking position, co-operates with the retaining element to prevent it being moved towards its releasing position and a second part with a larger diameter, that, in the unlocking position, co-operates with the retaining element and enables it to be moved towards its releasing position.
Advantageously the second part of the sleeve is conical so that when the sleeve is brought into its locking position, the conical part of the sleeve co-operates with the retaining element to urge it towards its retaining position.
Preferably, the device additionally comprises a structural element fixed to the casing, the cam element and the control element being pivotably mounted on said structural element.
According to a first advantageous variant, the retaining element is a deformable split ring.
According to a second advantageous variant, the retaining element comprises at least one deformable flexible foot integral with said structural element.
Advantageously, after dispensing the dose of product through the pump or the dosing valve, the control element, when it is brought back into its inoperative position, brings the actuating member back into its non-actuating position so that the retaining element is brought back into its retaining position, the locking member is brought back into its locking position and the cam element is brought back into its storing position.